By the end of their 11th year, the Devils franchise had made the playoffs once (without winning a game) in an era when damn near everyone made the playoffs. They went through 10 coaches (including interims), had never touched .500, and just lost out on the first overall pick in a year when there was a clear-cut #1. Their point percentage to that point was .302, and they had just been called "a Mickey Mouse organization" by Wayne Gretzky.

Think they're still bitter about how the rest of history has played out since then?

Thanks for providing that perspective, the similarities are truly eerie!